Living Life: Childlike Wonder

As moms we are constantly going.
Cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, blogging :), playing, running errands, excercising, grocery shopping, decorating and finding ways to teach our children values, morals and life. There is no end to our wonderful work.

I am relearning the art of finding wonder and fulfillment in the little things in my day.
.
I love the awe and delight that is captured in my son's face in this picture. 
I long for that but sometimes life gets in the way. The busyness of life blurs my vision and in a blink of an eye, I miss the moment.

Oh, to experience that childlike wonder again.

To stop and enjoy the little things in life:

• When my son shows me for the 50th time his cool kick.
• When my baby hands me the little pieces of outdoors that he finds, only his little eyes can see. Sometimes it's even his boogers and in his sweet little baby voice he says "here." Don't worry I won't be staring at his boogers with awe and amazement.
• To sit in and listen to their giggles and playful chatter.
• To bend down with my 2 year old and watch the ants go by with amazement.
• To stop and listen to the birds chirping outside my window.
• To just sit and play.
• To be okay with the mess and just enjoy watching my sons revel in it.  (that's a hard one)

Halloween Favors: Pumpkin Play Dough

Aren't these adorable!

Well they are super easy to make. Get the recipe for the pumpkin play dough and the details for this party favor here at Inspired by Familia.


For more Halloween Fun:
Kid Friendly Halloween Party Ideas
No-Sew Captain Hook Costume
DIY Trick or Treat Bags
DIY Halloween Card Creations

Free E-Book Finds For Kids

I love that 4 letter F word, FREE! I am a sucker for freebie deals. Once I stood in a Chipotle Free Burrito day line that had at least 100 people in front of me just so that I could get a free burrito and of course to feed the hungry by donating a canned good. I am sure that was the main reason we were all standing in line to feed the hungry, ahem. 

I hate keeping these great finds to myself.  I discovered No Twiddle Twaddle a blog where Bethany shares free Kid E-books and other great deals on a daily basis with her readers.  I checked out her list and downloaded these great deals (check out her website for all of the deals):

The Bible Tells Me So by Paul J Loth
Rocket Boy Zooming in Space by Joy Findlay
Count the Fruit by Joy Findlay
Adventures of the Little Red Fox by JL Toscano
The Thursday Surpise (A Story about kids and autism) by Ryan Ennis
Big Book of All Time Favorite Bible Stories by V. Gilbert Beers
Rocket Boy Zooms to Mercury by Joy Findlay
Rocket Boy Goes to the Moon by Joy Findlay
Rocket Boy Visits Venus by Joy Findlay
Heart Strings by John Millwater
How to Draw Cartoons by Brian Platt

All of these were showing up as FREE! There are more free books on her list that I didn't get. Make sure that it says $0.00 on otherwise it's not free.
These are the 2 list I used but she has more list to view on her website: List 1 and List 2

Fruit Inspired Cool Summer Treats!

Looking for some Cool Summer Treats?
Well since they are fruit inspired we can go ahead and put them in the healthy category, right?

All of these have been featured in the digital online magazine below.
BELOW IS OUR GIVE AWAY!

 Just click HERE   or click on the magazine cover below!

1. Apple Pie in an Apple Cup doesn't that look amazing! It's also no bake!

2. Nutella Fudge Pops- Bananas & chocolate check out this simple but  yummy recipe.

3. Watermelon (faux) cups- Healthy and simple!

4. Peanut Butter & Banana Bites- frozen and yummy!

5. Watermelon (faux) Yogurt Pops- Another healthy and yummy treat.

6. Mini Banana Splits- This treat will get lots of wows but it's so simple! 

After viewing our online digital publication stop by on Facebook using Rafflecopter or below and tell us what article or tip you enjoyed! Every comment counts as a drawing for one of the FABULOUS prizes below!

The Hollie Rogue is giving away one of their beautiful vintage necklaces and Fadeless Memories is giving away one of their priceless heirlooms carved prints. They take your special photograph an individually carve into acrylic so they last a lifetime
.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Simple Summer Creative Ideas

My motto for this summer is "A Simple Summer".

We have packed our Summer online digital publication with simple and creative ideas, recipes, kid crafts, tips and tricks... to simplify your summer! No need to subscribe & it's free! Just click HERE then choose CLICK TO READ button to unlock a treasure full of ideas to simplify your summer!

Tell us here on Facebook using Rafflecopter or here at our website what article or tip you enjoyed! Every comment counts as a drawing for one of the prizes below!

The Hollie Rogue is giving away one of their beautiful vintage necklaces and Fadeless Memories is giving away one of their priceless heirlooms carved prints. They take your special photograph an individually carve into acrylic so they last a lifetime
.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Made with Love!

Photo Challenge #4 Made with Love! He had no idea that he was making me something!

Mateo getting his Picasso groove on!

He has no idea how excited his artsy fartsy momma is watching him!

Funny thing was that he only had a tiny smear of paint on him (not counting his tongue that probably had fuschia paint on it b/c he tried sucking the paint brush). Later when I went to change I realized I was the messy one in this project my clothes was full of paint.

Just Can't Get Enough!

This photo challenge may turn me into an out of control crazy camera clicking mama! Day # 5 Just Can't Get Enough! He is just so stickin adorable even when he makes a huge mess.

The Book That Changed My Life

I am so glad that I get to participate in this Book Carnaval with a bloggy friend Anne from Modern Mrs. Darcy. She started a book carnival on The Book That Changed My Life so hop on over and share your book.

Other then the Bible, and I am not just saying this because I am a missionary and that's what I should say but the Bible has totally rocked and changed my world. The other book that has challenged me is The Pursuit of God. I first got my hands on this book when I was in college and since then I have read this book countless times, at least 20 times if not more.  I would mentor young girls using this book and loved every minute of it. 

Back when I was a silly college girl I used to say that I wanted to marry A.W. Tozer. The problem was I had a crush on a dead author :). When he talks about God, it makes you salivate. Yes, truly hunger for more of His presence and for His truth in my life. That was a turn on, but in all seriousnes Tozer did bring me to a place of thirst for my Lord.

At some point in college, I had something awful happen to me.  At the time, I was a grad student and I was offered a job to work as a live in assistant for an elderly lady.  I had lived in a home for senior citizens as a activities coordinator so this seemed simple enough, just one elderly woman.  In return for my work, I would get free room and board.  My responsibilities were easy, to spend the night so she was not alone and to help her in the mornings.  A couple of months into this the lady went bonkers on me.  She came into my room with a written note.  An awful note stating how I was this horrible person and I wasn't doing my job and I was taking advantage of the situation.  A few minutes later she walked back into the room and asked me to leave immediately.  I packed  my bags and left.  The problem was I had no where to go, my family lived 24hrs away.  I got in my car and bawled.  Her accusations were unfounded and she treated with such dispespect and the worst of it was I had NO where to go.   

I was once again reading, The Pursuit of God. The chapter I was on happened to be talking about God dividing up the inheritance for the tribes and he gets to Aaron and he says "I am your portion." Numbers 18:20  I remember reading this in the back porch of a friends house and immediately I just got on my knees.  When a woman loses her home and the bed she lies on loses all sense of security.  I felt like everything was stripped from me and here was God saying "Mari, I am your portion. Trust me." 

Soon after, the wife of the Dean of Men of my school offered me her son's room, who was away on a mission.  The elderly lady later contacted me and apologized and offered me the job again and shared that she was on medication for depression among other things.  Don't worry, I didn't take the job.

Invincible! Makes Me Go Hmmmm

I love how kids think they are invincible and maybe sometimes adults. My 16 month old really is trying to climb the wall from our patio. This is day #8 of our Mommy Moments Photo Challenge!

"Ha, I will just climb this wall and show you mom for trying to block my path with the door." I am pretty sure he was thinking that.

I am glad to report, this little guy didn't make it over the wall. He came to terms with his invincibility and found something else to climb.

Hmmmm, I wonder where he gets it from. Here I am trying to be invincible. I am having a pillow fight, trying to whip my mans butt off the balance beam.

12 Days of Capturing Motherhood Through My Lens

I have enjoyed the Photo Challenge and finding creative ways to capture my day. 

Day #1 is to capture Where/What/How I spend my day?

This was a hard one because living in another country my days vary. Some days I spend my day trying to flag down a gas truck so that we can have hot water I am sure you would of loved seeing a picture of that. Other days I spend it playing with my little man, working on the computer, catching up with friends, ministry, excerising with friends, bible studies, meetings and did I say meetings, cooking crafting...
Yesterday I spent my day trying to find a hair salon. I was on the road for about 5 minutes and all of the sudden I see my baby through my rear view mirror (he still faces the other way so I should never see  his cute little face in the rear view mirror). He is standing up with a huge smile of accomplishment on his face.  I pull over immediately not noticing that it's a very busy street. I jump in the back seat to buckle him up AGAIN he is of course screaming, crying and putting up a fight.  Finally, I won he is safely buckled! Though I must add in this country most people don't ever buckle up their kids, I have seen newborns in the arms of their mom on a motorcyle. Well, I try to open the back door and I can't. Of course, I can't it's on child lock and the windows are on child lock, ugghhhh some times being safe parents is annoying.  I get my big butt up and jump over to the front seat, did it! I look over to the left to put on my seat belt and I notice two people standing there watching me. They were probably standing there the whole time. I am sure they were fully entertained especially the part where I crawled over to the front seat.

I wasn't going to let this burst my bubble of excitement to get my "feel like a princess haircut." I don't get out much and I especially don't get professional haircuts often so at this point I was determined to get what I fully deserve, pampered by a professional stylist.  Which by the way, get this haircuts here are as cheap as $5. I know and I still don't do this very often.

Anyways, the rest of my trip went like this: missed turned, got lost, all one ways streets so I have to start over again, got lost again, found place, no parking spots, all one way streets so I have to start over again, going home with out a haircut.  I know sad but true.

This is how I felt driving back home in 45min traffic without a haircut.  

 My little man climbed up here in the morning and wanted his breakfast served at the table like everyone else not in his high chair.

My day is usually spent playing with my little man on the floor, a cup of tea in my hand and clicking away on my laptop.

He has been quite moody lately he goes from this cute little smile to this cute little sad face.

By the way I did finally get my haircut! And just in case your wondering, yes, I did feel like a princess afterwards.

Mommy Moments Photo Challenge

I am so excited to be a part of this challenge! I look forward to one day looking back on these memories and to also be pushed a bit more on my photography skills.  A prize helps as a motivator and doing this along with other moms! Stop by and check out the details you have til May 11th.

My pictures for prompt #2 This Puts A Smile On My Face:

LOL

This is the picture I am linking up for the challenge!

Kiss on the nose! One of my faves.

This is only a sample for Photo Challenge Participants, I am not participating in the challenge since I am hosting the challenge. I wish I could there are some great prizes.

Note:

• I identified post with the Photo Challenge Button on post
• I chose to post 3 pictures for this prompt but I am only linking up one for Prompt #2.
• When I go link up my picture I will title it on the link up: Prompt #2 and link it back to this exact post not my blog.
• It's important that I only linked up the picture I want to submit for the challenge. I can't link up the first picture of my son on the toilet and then say it's the second one I want in the challenge.  The judges will only consider the picture you link up.
• If I was doing it just for fun which I am not :) I would put NOT-Prompt #2 when I submitted picture
• 
  
  

Spring Cookie Balls

You can find the post to these Spring Cookie Balls over at my new website: Inspired by Familia!